Trolley-wire clamp



G. H. BOLUS.

TROLLEY WIRE CLAMP.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 27. 191B.

' 1,364,027, Patented Dec. 28,1920.

anon q UNITED STATES GLENN HENRY BOLUS, OF

PATENT OFFICE.

PANY, OF MANSFIELD, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

TROLLEY-WIRE CLAMP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 28, 1920.

Application filed July 27, 1918. Serial No. 246,992.

To all whom it may concern Be it knownthat I, GLENN H. 130mm, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mansfield, in the county of Richland and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trolley-lire Clamps, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements for supporting trolley wires, or electric wire or cable for other purposes, and has for its primary object to provide an improved construction, combination and arrangement of parts in trolley clamps, such as are employed in electric railway and mining haulage systems for mechanically supporting and securely holding trolley wires or other conductor wires from insulated hangers or other structures from which they may be suspend ed or supported, or in any other place where they may be of service. I

Another object is to provide an improved clamp of this type, of simple, durable construction, which can be efficiently used in the construction and operation of mine haulage electric systems where the conditions of installation and operation are more severe and exacting than in ordinary trolley construction work.

Other and further objects will appear in the specification, and be more specifically pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the drawing exemplifying the invention, and in whiclr- Figure 1 1s a slde view of my device in 'combinatlon with the support above and a trolley wire below as it would appear under ordinary installation. Fig. 2 shows a sectiona-l view in part of my invention on the line 2-2 Fig. 1 showing an incompleted installation or connection to a trolley wire and overhead support and just prior to the device securely gripping the trolley wire and overhead support. Fig. 3 shows a sectional view of my invention on the line 22, Fig. 1, in which my invention is represented as completely installed upon a trolley wire and hanger support and securely gripping both the trolley wire and the overhead support. Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the collar (5) to better show the interior construction of the collar (5). Fig. 5 shows in perspective the construction of the support member (4) as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. Fig. 6 shows a modification of the support member and whlch can be substituted for the support member (4) in Figs. 2 and 3.

Referring more particularly to the draw- 1ng-,

(1) represents the jaws of clamping members of my lnyention and in the form shown 1n the drawing there are two such jaw members provided with interior beveled faces (9).

(2)(3) represent a bolt and nut respectlvely and which are used as a means for drawing the jaw members (1) toward each other in the process of installation of my device.

(4) represents a support member secured to the clamp through the medium of the belt or clamping means (2) and is provided with an internal thread for securing or attachmg the same to an overhead support, a groove (10) and aperture (11).

(5) 1s a collar mounted on the support member (4) in such a manner that it moves axially and relatively to the support member (4) and rotates relatively to support member (4) if the support member (4) is of the construction shown in Fig. 5 but is nonrotatable with respect to support member (4) 1f the support member is constructed in accordance with Fig.- 6 as will be fully explained later. A beveled edge (12) is prov1ded at the lower end. The collar (5) is adapted to co-act with the jaws (1) and also with the overhead support when in an installed position.

(6) represents an overhead support or hanger usually of the insulated type and against the lower face of which my invention is adapted to co-act when installed.

(7 represents a threaded stud to which my invention is attached through the medium of the support member (4).

(8) represents the trolley wire.

(13) represents'lugs on the collar to en gage the groove (10) and rotatably secure the collar and support member (Fig. 5) together or secure them together but against rotation if Fig. 6 support member is used.

In the construction of my invention I incorporate therein many of the necessary requirements to make a device of this character successful in meeting the requirements of such a device and one of the requirements is that the device shall be capable of gripping the trolley wire and the overhead support tightly and securely regardless of the alinement of the trolley Wire with reference to the hanger. In the installation of many of the devices of this character now on the market the hanger is installed first and as the relation of the threaded parts, namely the hanger stud and the support member is not always the same, the clamp as a whole will not properly seat itself against the face .of the support or hanger (6) and at the same time be in proper alinement to grip the trolley wire (8); therefore I have provided in my invention a construction and arrangement of parts whereby this objectionable feature is overcome. The principle of operation ofmy device is I believe entirely new with me and depends upon the relative movement of the parts (4) and (5) with respect to each other when the jaw members (1) which co-act with the collar (5) are caused to be drawn inwardly or toward each other by means of the clamping member In some devices now on the market the gripping action between the trolley wire and the overhead hanger is brought about by rotating a member interposed between the jaws and the hanger and the rotation causes the part to co-act upon the jaws, causing them to gripthe trolley wire but in my device I cause the jaws to be brought or moved toward each other and this movement, in turn, causes the member interposed between the jaws and the overhead hanger to be moved upwardly into engagement with the hanger and at the same time to grip the trolley wire with an ever increasing gripping force as the collar (5) is caused to press with increas ing force against the hanger (6).

In Fig. 2 I have shown my invention as connected to an overhead hanger and in position ready to be tightened upon the trolley wire and against the lower face of the hanger and to bring the device to this po sition the hanger (6) is first secured in position to the roof of a mine, barn roof, bridge, etc., and the clamp is then attached to the stud (7) of the hanger by revolving it upon the threaded stud (7 until the part (4) engages the lower face of the hanger (6). If the jaws of the clamp are in proper alinement to grip the trolley wire the clamp and hanger are left in this relation to each other; if not, the clamp is backed off a sufficient portion of a turn or revolution to bring the jaws in proper alinement with the trolley wire. This back revolution of course will disengage the clamp member (4;) from direct contact with the lower face of the hanger (6) and therefore moisture could very readily creep in between the hanger and the clamp and reach the threaded portion and this is undesirable. Also the attachment to thehanger would not be as secure and rigid as though the device were pressing tightly against the lower face of the hanger, and a loose attachment is undesirable from the question of mechanical strength. Having alined the clamp up with respect to the trolley wire, the trolley wire (8) is then raised and inserted in position between the jaws (1) of the clamp, and the clamping device (2) and (3) operated to cause the jaws (1, 1) to move toward each other. The movement of the jaws toward each other will bring them into contact with the trolley wire at their lower edge and farther movement of the jaws (1, 1) relatively toward. each other will cause their upper ends to move and force the collar (5) upwardly through their engagement with the lower beveled face of the collar WVhen the upper face of the collar (5) meets the lower face of the hanger (6) any further tightening of the clamping device (2, 3) causing the jaws to be brought relatively toward each other, will produce a very strong and ever increasing gripping effect simultaneously upon the trolley wire and the lower face of the hanger (6).

It will. be noted that as the jaws are moved in a transverse or horizontal direction toward each other as along the line 00-m, they will cause the collar (5) to move in a right angle direction or direction perpendicular thereto along the line YY.

In Figs. 2 and 3 the support member (4) is shown as non-rotatable with respect to the jaws and the collar is not only rotatable with respect to the support member 1) but is also capable of a longitudinal movement relatively thereto, due to the groove (10) being wider than the lugs (13). If the support member shown in Fig. 6 is substituted for that shown in Fig. 3, then the collar (5) is non-rotatable with respect to the support member but would still be relatively movable thereto in a vertical direction, which is necessary, as the lugs (13) would operate in the slots (14). Either one of these constructions is equally applicable to my invention. as the rotation of the collar (5) relatively to the other parts is not necessary for the successful operation of my. device as it is with many other devices shown in the prior art.

It will also be understood that if the support member (4:) was made rotatable with respect to the jaws that my device would still be operable as I do not depend upon the relative rotation of any of the parts of my invention proper for its successful operation other than the rotation of the nut (3) with respect to the bolt (2).

Many variations may be made in the combination and arrangement of parts which will operate in the same or equivalent manner as I have disclosed herein and without departing from the spirit of my invention and I therefore do not wish to be limited beyond that set forth in my claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. The combination of a hanger having a suspension member, "a plurality of jaws, clamping means passing transversely through the jaws for drawing them toward each other, a supporting member secured to the jaws through the medium of the clamping means to engage the-suspension member, and a collar mounted on the supporting member and means on the collar engaging and coacting with the jaws to move the collar axially of the supporting member and relatively to the jaws to increase the vertical height of the clamp and to engage the lower face of the hanger when the jaws are moved toward each other to grip a wire.

2. A conductor clamp comprising in com bination a plurality of jaws, means to en gage and hold a conductor,asupport member secured to the jaws and having means to engage a hanger, a collar secured to-the support member to coact with the jaws and move axially of the support member and clamping means for drawing the jaws to-- ward each other and move the collar in a height-increasing direction.

3. The combination of a hanger having a supporting member, a plurality of jaws, a clamping means f0] drawing the jaws toward each other, a member engaging the clamping means for attachment to the supporting member and means operated by the jaws and moved relatively to the jaws to increase the vertical height of the clamp and to engage the face of the hanger when the jaws move toward each other to grip a wire.

i. A trolley wire clamp adapted to engage a hanger comprising in combination jaws for gripping a trolley wire, separate means operated by the jaws moving toward each other to engage the hanger, means separately formed from the above means for operating the jaws and means to secure the clamp to a hanger.

5. The combination of a hanger having a supporting member, a pair of clamping jaws, means for moving the jaws toward each other to grip a trolley wire, means to attach the jaws to supporting member and means operable by the movement of the jaws and movable relatively to the jaws and toward the hanger to increase the height of the clamp and securely engage the face of the hanger.

' 6. The combination of a hanger having suspending means, jaws provided with means to grip a trolley wire, a supporting member for attaching the jaws to the hanger, a collar to engage the hanger and provided with beveled means, means engaging the supporting member and coacting with the jaws to move them in a transverse direction and means on the jaws coacting with beveled means on the collar to move the collar at right angles relatively to the axis of the trolley wire in a height-increasing direction.

7. A trolley wire clamp adapted to engage a hanger comprising in combination a pair of jaws to clamp a wire, a supporting member for attaching the clamp to the hanger means interposed between the jaws and the face of the hanger to increase the vertical height of the clamp as the jaws are moved to grip the wire, and coacting faces on the jaws and singly formed means, one of the coacting faces on the interposed means and jaws being beveled.

8. The combination of a hanger having a suspending member, jaws to grip a conductor, a supporting member to secure the jaws to the suspending member, engaging means non-rotatably secured to the supporting member but movable axially thereof and engaging the aws and hanger and increasing the vertical height of the clamp and means to move the jaws toward each other and the engaging means into engagement with the hanger.

9. The combination of a hanger having a suspending member, jaws to grip a conductor, a supporting member to secure the jaws to the suspending member, engaging means non-rotatably secured to the supporting member but movable axially thereof to rotate the supporting member into engagement with the suspending member and to engage the jaws and hanger and increase the vertical height of the device and means to move the jaws toward each other and the engaging means into secure engagement with the hanger and jaws.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

GLENN HENRY BOLUS. 

